Hard Rock Will Launch GiG Sportsbook In Early 2019

New Jersey’s Hard Rock and Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) expanded their partnership and they have big plans for the future. The two parties are preparing for…

…a sportsbook launch due in the first quarter of 2019.

GiG has been powering Hard Rock’s online casino for some time and the two sides signed a letter of intent regarding the launch of the sports betting product.

Even though the launch was anticipated by the end of 2018 since the group got the approval to operate in this state at the beginning of summer a spokesperson has confirmed that the launch is rescheduled for early 2019!

The approval came from state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement in June and Hard Rock is expected to get a full package of services! This includes GiG Sports Connect, GiG Goal and GiG Trader.

In the meantime, Hard Rock only hopes that the sportsbook will be set up before the big event at the beginning of February – NFL Super Bowl. Speaking of this spectacle, the American Gaming Association estimated…

…that unregulated wagers reached $4.6 billion in the United States for the biggest sports finale in the country.

Early Works and Future Plans

GiG and hard rock have already cooperated in the past and the New Jersey facility acquired some of the products including GiG Magic for the of HardRockCasino.com. This feature went live on July 3 and it was something that contributed the casino immensely.

According to the casino, they have gained $1 million since the launch!

Kresimir Spajic, Hard Rock International’s Online Gaming SVP said that the sportsbook integration would be complemented by skin partnership “with leading international operators.”

When it comes to the milestone achieved, he complimented: “Hitting this milestone so quickly, in such a competitive market, is proof that we are giving players the offers, games and rewards they want when they play online, on mobile or on the boardwalk.”

GiG CEO, Robin Reed, also praised the agreement with Hard Rock which had been sealed following “a highly competitive pitch against the best sportsbooks in the world.”

“Hard Rock choosing GiG to power its sportsbook is a clear statement as to the quality of our cutting-edge sports betting services at this very early stage of their roll-out,” Reid finished.

GiG has a lot of plans for the future and Hard Rock has been just one of their stops. They said that there is a “potential to expand the partnership further in the future in other US states”. By the end of 2023, the group hopes…

…to make its way to over 20 states in the country and provide their sports betting services to more than half a population in the US!

There’s More

Earlier in the year, GiG entered the German market after having successfully acquired Nordbet. With this move, the company got an opportunity to influence the second-largest iGaming market and increase its income. According to the reports, the gross turnover in the online market of this country exceeded €5.3M in 2017.

Source:

“Hard Rock’s GiG sportsbook set for Q1 2019 launch”, igamingbusiness.com, November 29, 2018.